DHAKA, 17th September 2026, a delegation from the Institute of Social Work (ISW), led by Rector Dr. Joyce Nyoni, Did a bench-marking visit to Bangladesh to study the nationally acclaimed Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme (UPGP) a pioneering social protection initiative implemented successfully in Bangladesh for over two decades.

During the visit, Dr. Nyoni met with Prof. Imran Matin, Executive Director of the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) at BRAC University, alongside his senior management team.
The bilateral discussions focused on unlocking synergy between the two institutions in research, capacity building, and evidence-based policy formulation.

As part of this initiative, ISW are now exploring the areas of collaborations including the Junior Research Program (JRP) that is better implemented in Bangladesh to support government initiatives to have informed decisions while implementing social-economic related projects that intends to solve social-economic challenges in the country.

To formalize this institutional collaboration, ISW and BIGD have agreed to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing an institutional partnership centered on joint research, knowledge exchange, and sustainable social interventions.